Popping a Bubble
by Remoyuki
Summary: Akita Neru isn't a very social person. In fact, she'd prefer it if people left her alone. But there's always been one person, an energetic redhead with an annoying bubbly attitude, that tries to get to know her. Through being annoying, to the point Neru can't help but think about her, she begins to fall in love. Thus begins the crashing of her comfortable, anti-social bubble.
1. Juice

_**I dunno how to start this message off, but…I hope you like it! **_

_**Disclaimer: To each his own, but I do not apply.**_

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_**Popping a Bubble**_

_**Chapter 1: Juice**_

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Akita Neru was known for her constant irritation with people in general, even her friends. Whenever they annoyed her, she silently left them to sit by herself, tapping endlessly on her phone. But, one of them always had to notice, and she always had to join her in her moment of silence.

"Neru-chan~" Furukawa Miki said, gently setting her lunch tray onto the empty table. She smiled at the blonde in front of her, and rested her chin in her hands. "What's wrong today?"

The other girl stayed silent, still tapping away on her phone. After a moment of cherry eyes not moving from her face, Neru sighed. "Why do you care?" she sighed, putting her elbow on the table. Her golden eyes looked at Miki for a second.

The redhead smiled, giggling. "Well, you left right when we were talking about, well…how NEETs are pretty much…gross. You do know we didn't mean you, right?"

"Whatever. I don't really care," Neru murmured into her palm, glaring at her phone. She wished time would go faster and the bell would ring. Unfortunately now she had to endure fifteen more minutes of Miki surrounding her. Like always. She groaned when Miki started laughing again. "If you have something to say, say it, Furukawa."

This triggered a sound of challenge by the other girl. "Aww, Neru-chan! You need to stop being so guarded. I'm not here to be mean," she pouted, twisting open her cranberry juice. Neru cringed, remembering the first time she tried it. "Want some?" Miki offered it to her, but the drink was pushed back to her the same second.

"No. It's gross."

"C'mooon!"

"I said no."

"Just a sip?"

"What does _no_ mean to you?"

"I'd back off only if you try it."

Neru felt her nose scrunch up when the bottle was back in her face, the red drink already making her tongue cringe. But if Miki was true to her word…

She took a deep breath and lifted it to her mouth, taking in a small amount of it, intending to set it down, but Miki's hand became cozy at the bottom of the bottle, making even more gush into her mouth. Golden eyes widened, and Neru choked on it a little, nearly spitting it all over themselves had it not been for another large gulp. After it was removed from her face, she shook from the sour taste and wiped her mouth.

"Are you trying to kill me? Jeez," she coughed, glaring at the other girl. Miki simply shrugged, and smiled at her a little. "What?"

"You liked it," she stated, finally going back to her half eaten lunch. "Plus, it was an indirect kiss!" That made Neru choke again, making her laugh.

A blush stained her cheeks, and she tried covering it by lifting up her phone. "Stupid."

Lunch continued in silence, with Miki occasionally saying something witty, while Neru muttered insults to her in retort, trying to avoid talking to her. When the bell finally rang, they parted ways with Miki giving her the nearly empty bottle of cranberry juice. It was thrown in the trash the second she turned her back.

That evening, Neru was sitting at her desk, scribbling equations on a piece of lined paper, the soft lamp in the corner of her desk lighting up her homework. By her phone and the cap sitting somewhere behind it, sat a half empty bottle of cranberry juice. Every sip was followed with a shudder of disgust, and Neru set it down.

"Gross."

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_**HAHA. Tsundere Neru! I hope you enjoyed it. **_


	2. Math

_**Welcome to chapter two. :P This story will basically be a multitude of shorts with a plot (omg what) that pretty much flows as a string of trial and errors. **_

_**The song Neru was listening to is, "HOT SUMMER" by f(x) but the Guriri and Nobunaga version. **_

_**Disclaimer: To each his own, but I do not apply.**_

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_**Popping a Bubble **_

_**Chapter 2: Math**_

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Miki yawned upon entering the classroom, mechanically walking to her seat that was not assigned to her. It didn't bother her teacher as she still worked as hard as ever and proved her seating didn't effect her studies. Of course, she only did her work because she wanted to stay in the seat, which was right behind Neru.

It wasn't that she had a crush on her or anything, Neru just wasn't one to talk that much, which lead to mystery and then Miki wanted to know her more. She was smart and was pretty average at her studies, although her grades were higher than Miki's. But it amazed the redhead that she seemed so apathetic to everything and anything.

"Morning," she said to the blonde listening to music through one earphone. When Neru didn't respond, she leaned forward onto her desk and poked her neck, giggling at the way she squirmed in her seat and turned around to glare at her. Miki smiled, sitting back into her seat. "Morning," she repeated.

"Morning," Neru replied, going back to staring at her notebook. A little bit of her music leaked, and Miki was surprised at the pop music. She was sure Neru listened to rock music to fill in the void made by her depressing attitude.

Before the bell rang, she got out of her seat and walked to Neru's desk, lifting up the dangling headphone, placing it in her ear.

_Hot summer! A hot hot, summer!  
Hot summer! A hot hot, Neomu dawo!  
Hot summer! A hot hot, summer!  
Hot summer! A hot hot, Ige-  
_

"What are you doing?!" Neru snapped, nearly ripping out her earphone from Miki's ear. A blush stained her cheeks and her eyes were full of fury. "Don't do that." She stopped the song, hiding her iPod from view.

Miki rubbed her ear a little, and pouted, standing from her crouching position. "Does that mean I can if I ask for permission?" she asked with a pout, voice full of innocence.

"No. Now go sit down," the blonde said, putting in the other earphone to block out her voice. Miki sighed and did as she was told, the bell signaling the start of class. The entire time, even through attendance, Neru kept her earphones in. She still managed to take notes and do the homework despite it being a new topic.

Ten minutes before the bell rang, they were given a chance to chit chat and hang out, to which Miki decided to do her homework so she wouldn't have to do it at home. A few things bothered her though: one, Neru simply there, ready to be teased, and two, she didn't understand what was being asked of her.

She pondered whether to ask the teacher or the girl in front of her for help. It was embarrassing when she had to ask the teacher for help, since he made her seem dumb each time, so she stuck with interrupting Neru's relaxing time.

"What?" she asked in annoyance, taking one of her earphones out at the slightest touch from Miki's finger. She turned ever so slightly to get a glance at the confused girl and sighed when the redhead pointed at her notebook without a word. "Help?" she asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Mm. I don't get how to do these," she replied, showing her the type of equations. Neru sighed and rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "_Please?_" Miki begged, tugging at her sleeve. Neru just shrugged her off, making her frown.

Miki sighed and decided to close her notebook, looking forward to battling with it later that evening. But before she stuffed everything in her backpack, Neru turned around again and moved her chair to make it more comfortable. "Fine," she said, slamming down her completed homework. "Copy it."

"That's no fun! I wanna be taught step by step," Miki whined, shaking her head. The small ahoge on her head bobbed from side to side.

Neru's eye twitched, about to smack the thing into place, when Miki stopped, looking up at her with wide, glittering puppy dog eyes. "Please?"

Her urge to smack that look on her face got bigger, but Neru fought it off, and sighed. "Just one problem. Then you do the rest by yourself," was her answer, her inner self repeatedly punching her brain for not processing normally.

Few minutes passed by the time they got done with five problems (four more than she had promised), and Miki showed she could do it on her own, letting Neru off the hook with a minute to spare. When everyone started getting up for their second class, Miki tugged on Neru's sweater, a big smile on her face.

"Thanks! I really thought I was in trouble there," she said with a genuine giggle. Neru looked away, her cheeks burning.

"Whatever…"

The rest of the week went very annoyingly for Neru. For each morning, every day, Miki requested help from her about anything. Be it related to math or not, and every time, Neru agreed to doing so. It annoyed her, especially since she couldn't stop herself from falling for the same trick over and over again, the stupid puppy dog look.

"Neru-chan," Miki called from behind the brooding blonde, her desk empty save for her phone. "Look, I wanna show you something!"

Before she knew it, the iPhone with a black case and a picture of Marilyn Monroe on it was shoved in her face, the bright screen showing her current grade in the class. A pretty big A was there, followed by a high percentage; it almost rivaled Neru's grade just by a few.

"Okay…and?" she asked, feigning nonchalance. If she remembered, Miki's grade was falling toward a C at best, not a very great thing to see on her report card.

Taking her phone back, Miki gave her a toothy grin. "It's because you helped me! Now I understand most of the lessons, and I can do the homework with almost no help!"

Neru stopped thinking for a moment, trying to let the information sink in. Within moments her face was beet red, so she stuck to putting her things into her backpack. "Okay. Well, just don't screw it up," she said, standing from her seat. There was still nearly half an hour until class was over.

"Wait, where are you going? N-Neru-chan?"

The blonde got a pass to the bathroom, her intent not exactly to go, but to splash her face with ice cold water. Staring into the mirror, Neru seethed at the blush still painted on her face. She had never been so annoyed in her life, moreso now that some girls had to do a double take at seeing her of all people in the bathroom. Neru, who dubbed the toilet seats a way to get a venereal disease…or pregnant, whichever one came first.

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_**There we go! Chapter two is here. Since tomorrow is Easter I will be inactive, but come Monday afternoon/evening, I will try to post chapter three! **_


	3. Texting

_**Thank you ALL for the reviews, faves, follows, whatever! Frigging love you man(s)! **_

_**Also, I love Gumi to DEATH! But in this story she's gonna be depicted as an ass and a loser. I'm sorry gaiz. :c**_

_**Disclaimer: To each his own, but I do not apply.**_

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_**Popping a Bubble**_

_**Chapter 3: Texting**_

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"Mm...Neru-chan, what exactly do you do on your phone?" Miki asked, tilting her head to the side. Although it was normal for Neru to constantly be on her phone, nobody ever really knew what she did.

Neru stayed quiet and shut her device, putting it back into the confines of her jacket pocket. "Nothing," she replied, stuffing her mouth with a fairly large piece of her sandwich to avoid talking with her.

The rest of their friends wondered as well, Hatsune Miku nodding along with the redhead, "Yeah, Neru-chan! Do you have a secret boyfriend or something?!"

"Secret boyfriend," Neru scoffed, turning her head away. The rest made a simultaneous, "Whoaaa..." that aggravated her. She sighed and put down her water bottle. "It's not a boy."

"Girl?" Kamui Gakupo inquired, resting his head on his palm. "I'm a-okay with that stuff you know."

Luka stomped on his foot, giving him a side glare. Sitting next to her with their hands entwined, Miku giggled. "You'd better!" the teal-haired girl said cheerfully. "Or else I'd have to kill you."

"Ohh, such a scary threat," Gakupo threw back, getting Miku to stick her tongue out. "Anyway, who do you text all the time? We don't judge."

Neru scrunched up her nose and turned her body away, her back to them. The way the seats in the cafeteria were, it looked like she was about to leave. But then she took out her phone and opened it, sighing a little. When she turned around again there was a bright red blush on her face, growing more intense with how focused they were on the screen in front of them.

"What..." Luka said first, raising an eyebrow.

Miku's lip trembled, which meant she was trying to hold back laughter. "What's Cleverbot?"

"Cleverbot is an AI...or artifical intelligence," Neru started, not losing her blush. "It's like a chat, although you're not talking to a real person, but a computer – hey, wait, what are you doing?!"

Miki reached over and snatched the phone from Neru's hand, her fingers moving just as fast as Neru was scrambling around the table. In a time span of three seconds, Miki was done and threw the device back to the angry blonde. "There!" she giggled, jumping from her seat.

"Idiot," Neru said, biting the inside of her cheek at seeing her screen. Her face was still contorted into one of annoyance and she closed her phone again, stuffing it into her pocket. "I'm leaving."

"Wait!" Miki threw herself over the table and latched onto Neru's arm. The blonde tried pulling it from her surprisingly strong grip. "Text me?"

Luka stayed silent, although she already knew about someone having a crush. It wasn't really her business to butt into other peoples' problems, and this was extremely entertaining to not only her, but Miku as well. The couple usually liked to annoy their friends when they had a crush, but this time they'd let it slide naturally. Neru was just too fun.

The blonde didn't think it was fun nor cute, and looked away from that dreaded puppy dog look. "No. Now let go," she said to the moving clock, already dangerously close to the time she should be walking to class. It was far, and she didn't want to deal with this. "Text somebody else." She got her sleeve back and shoved her hands in her pockets as she left, fists shaking.

Miki plopped back down to her seat with a pout, ignoring the looks her friends gave her. Instead, she opted to taking Gakupo's phone and search through his contacts.

"H-hey, hey!" he yelled, trying to reach for his new phone. He averted his gaze from the girls sitting next to him, feeling a blush coming on. Miki then stopped going through it and gave him a pale look. "Did you...see it?" Gakupo gulped, getting some air into his shirt by using his collar as a fan.

"I won't ask~" Miki sang.

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Neru sighed upon opening the door to her Biology class, seeing only one person she didn't really get along with. Gumi was a "stoner", and although she never smelt like one, she sure did act like one. She was unmotivated, distracting, lazy and sometimes (most of the time) never came to class. Neru never liked being paired with her during big projects, and since she was here, Gumi either got busted by truancy officers or was being threatened with something.

"What's up?" the green-haired girl asked, jumping onto Neru's desk like she was her best friend. The golden-eyed girl stared at her blankly, saying nothing. Gumi scoffed, flicking one of Neru's bangs. "Fine, don't say anything. I just wanna ask you something."

Neru scoffed, looking away. Her phone buzzed, and even though she wasn't allowed to take out her phone, it was better getting in trouble than talking to the loser sitting in front of her.

_Unknown: _

_Sent: 12:19_

_Neru-chan! :D Guess who?! ;3 _

"Jesus..." the blonde sighed, wanting to bash into her currently occupied desk. She didn't remember ever giving the redhead her number, and now that she had it...she might as well use her.

_Neru:_

_Sent: 12:19_

_What. _

Gumi stole her attention by tapping her bent over forehead with her palm, sending Neru's vision upwards. "Alright, so, you know Furukawa? I know, I know, the dumbass. Well, I think she's pretty cute, even if she's pretty dumb. You're her friend right? Wanna ask her out for me?"

"I'm not a messenger girl."

"Come on! Don't be a bitch," Gumi asked, leaning in closer. Her eyes were a brilliant green, and Neru pondered why someone so pretty would waste her life with something as useless as weed...or other things. "It'll get her to stop being annoying," she added in a persuasive tone. The texting blonde stopped her fingers, and glared up at Gumi.

"I'm not a messenger girl. If you want to ask her out, you should do it yourself, and not be such a coward," she said, going back to looking down at her phone. A small blush appeared on her cheeks for such a bold statement, and she couldn't care less about Gumi's insults she threw at her while going back to her own seat.

_Annoying: _

_Sent: 12:23_

_Whaattt? Gumi, like...the smoker? xc Ewww! I mean, she is pretty, but...blaaghghgh I can't date people who do drugs. :b Sorry she made you do that though. ):_

Golden eyes stayed impassive as she read and replied to the text, but something welled in her chest, an extremely annoying feeling.

_Neru:_

_Sent: 12:24_

_I don't care. Technically it isn't like all the _bad_ drugs; you know people can legally smoke it for medical reasons? _

She didn't know why or how or when, but throughout the class while they were texting, Neru felt her lips growing into a smile, but fought it off by trying to focus on the lesson. But looking at the clock, she noticed there was only twenty minutes of class left, so she got up, made an excuse and left the class, shooting a glaring Gumi a triumphant smirk.

"I'm so dumb," she whispered to herself, throwing her backpack on a bench somewhere on the outside of the second floor. A few silent minutes passed, and Neru threw off her sweater from the heat coming from the sun above. Summer vacation was vastly approaching, and then she'd have true peace, away from certain annoying bubble heads.

A tap on the window across the hall caught her attention, and of course, that same bubble head was standing there with her class, walking someplace. The redhead gave her a big smile and waved, running away to catch up with the others. Neru rolled her eyes (how many times she was going to be doing this, she didn't know), but took out her phone anyway.

_Neru: _

_Sent: 1:16_

_Where are you going?_

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_**ERMAHGERD I left this in my document folder, and school (which I'm now motivated about!) took my focus for the week. But it was done, just not in my mind at the moment. Sorry about that! I like my Neru for some reason...she reminds me of me sometimes. xD**_


	4. Stupidity

_**Once again, thank you everyone for all your support~! **_

_**Disclaimer: I just realized my old one doesn't make sense, but I don't own anything.**_

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_**Popping a Bubble**_

_**Chapter 4: Stupidity**_

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There was never a time where Neru really cared about crushes or love, or people in general, and she still didn't. However, one Friday afternoon when she was wandering the campus with a fake pass in hand, a platinum-haired princess approached her, giving the tiled floor a hard stare.

Aria, or known by her nickname as Ia, was someone that was hard to crack; somewhat like Neru, but Aria was more social and actually liked her friends whereas Neru sat there and tried to ignore everyone sitting around her. Of course, tried was the keyword.

"There's..." Aria started, looking to the side where the railing was. Their school was designed strange, but still looked pretty cool. There was like a sort of garden in the middle of the school they could watch from the second floor, although it was really boring, and both floors allowed fresh air into the classrooms as they had no _real _halls. "There's someone I like!" she shouted after a while, the darkened hall making her eyes glow.

However, what she said sunk into Neru's brain after a while, and she felt her eyebrow twitch, trying to find the right words blunt enough to make a point, but not be rude since they weren't as close.

She sighed, finding no soft answer come to mind. "So? Tell him, make it easier on yourself," was all she said before she made her exit, but jerked back when her hand was pulled. Neru wanted to make the conversation as short and easy as possible; having her hand pulled would not help in the slightest.

Aria took in a deep breath and exhaled, "A girl, Akita-san."

_Jesus help me I hope it's not me..._Neru looked up at the ceiling that had no lights installed, and shook her head, trying to figure out what the problem was. What exactly did stupid people do in this situation.

Just then, two hands rested on her back and a forehead pressed against her neck, stiffening her body enough she could feel her lungs stop. "Aha~" an unfamiliar voice laughed, deep and rich. Aria froze as well upon seeing the familiar tail-like hair, colored like the ripest peach.

Nekomura Iroha smiled at her and nodded, the two classmates both having the same thoughts of ditching. "Who hangs out only feet away from their classes?" she teased lightly, poking Neru's cheek. The taller blonde flicked her hand away, threatening to kick Miki off the top spot for being annoying.

"Just kidding," Iroha winked, sticking out her tongue. "Miki-san and I were just on our way to drop off some paperwork." She let her brighter gold eyes move back and forth between Neru and Aria, then bit her bottom lip. "Is this some sort of confession?" she asked, feigning surprise.

Aria burst into flames and stepped back, about to run away from the situation, when Miki popped out from a classroom, jumping on her. "I haven't seen you in forever!" she cried in joy, almost making the two fall over the railing. Luckily Aria had excellent arm strength.

"Whatever," Neru breathed, turning to leave the hall and go somewhere else more secluded, but Iroha got in her way and dragged her back the few feet she walked. "What," the blonde hissed, eyes narrowing to the cat-like girl in front of her.

Miki grinned at her and turned her head to the stoic and stiff Aria, "So," she dragged, pulling her away.

"I kinda heard you say you like someone," she whispered in awe, face dangerously close to the taller girl. If Neru was taller than Aria, Miki was even shorter than the blonde, which made her less prone to be taken seriously, like now.

Gulping and hoping nobody else was listening, Aria nodded. Miki was the last person she'd reveal her secret to, but other than silent Neru, nobody she knew was as quiet and distant than she was. "Fine. I just need to get it off my chest," she whispered, leaning in closer to whisper in the girl's ear.

A loud squeal interrupted the classes that were right next to them, a few teachers poking their heads out to check on who made the noise. Luckily they bolted out of there before anyone could say anything, heading to the staircase.

"You're so dumb," Neru told Miki, glaring holes into the back of her head. The staircase wasn't very big, so they were, for the most part, crushed into each other for cover. Aria's back was pushed against Iroha's front, but Neru's back was crushing her own front, not giving the girl a very comfortable position.

Miki pouted, feeling her legs caught from behind in the tangle of limbs. "I didn't know!" she yelled, causing Neru to reach her arm around her and cover her mouth with her hand. Miki struggled to protest, but felt her face heat up at the realization of how close they were. Her back, on instinct, pushed back against Neru, causing the other girl to lean back from her.

"You know we're not...being followed, right?" Iroha asked from behind them, barely audible enough from the lack of air coming to her lungs. Aria jumped from the hot air blowing onto her neck and the pressure coming from in front of her, and her foot slipped, sending all four of them tumbling down the stairs with shrieks and groans of pain.

Neru stormed out from the main office, almost making the door slam into the wall. Behind her, Miki left at a calm pace, trying to get some distance in between them. "It's fine, it's fine!" Iroha sang, pulling Aria out due to her statue-like state. The four got one week of lunch detention for skipping class and causing a disruption; it wasn't a huge deal to the peach-haired girl.

"I guess we should just go to class, huh?" Miki asked, not looking forward to hearing her sarcastic teacher berate her for being in trouble. Before she walked off, she remembered something important. Turning around, she caught both girls' attention before smiling. "You guys should go out!"

Aria fell to the floor and Iroha was too busy blushing and turning to stone to really notice it.

* * *

"Neru-chan!"

"Go away."

Miki puffed out her cheeks in frustration, stomping closer to the texting blonde. "Are you mad at me?" she innocently asked, although her question was sincere. Neru flinched and glanced at her in annoyance.

"Are you?" Miki sighed in her question, dropping down to the floor next to Neru. She fiddled with the phone in her pocket before having an idea. Cherry eyes met with gold and she smiled, holding up her phone. Neru seemed to get the message, but shook her head, ready to stand up and leave.

"Why aren't you in class?" Neru quickly asked, her patience slowly slipping. She had only ever snapped at her brother, but she was sure Miki was just asking to be yelled at sooner or later.

The redhead giggled and shook her head, looking up at the lightless ceiling. "It's the end of the day, there's no point in going to class now," she said, sticking her legs straight out to stretch. Neru simply watched her with a neutral expression, although the irritation she felt could still be seen in her eyes. "There's no reason to leave a friend alone anyway," Miki added, bringing her legs closer to her body.

Neru wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible, checking her phone repeatedly for time to go faster, but she couldn't hide the burning of her ears from Miki's watchful eyes. The other girl reached up and lightly pinched the warm tip of her ear, getting Neru to yelp in a very feminine manner.

"So cute!" Miki gushed, stars gleaming all around her face. Neru leaned away before getting up, facing the opposite direction of the redhead she hardly liked. "Neru-chan?"

After a moment, Neru sat back down in a defensive position, crossing her arms. "I'd be stupid to leave before school ends..." she whispered with a sigh. Realizing she voiced out her thoughts, Neru hid her face from view, allowing Miki to giggle and tease her even more.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket, and Neru took a glance at it before sending a glare to the other girl who pretended like she didn't do anything.

_Annoying: _

_Sent: 1:25_

_Let's text 'til school ends!_

With another sigh and roll of her eyes, Neru began texting her back.

They surely were stupid, texting each other when they sat right next to each other...but Neru found it to be comfortable and less annoying than she thought, even though Miki ended up being too close to her for comfort. But it was nice...and quiet...and Miki smelt like cherries...

_We're so stupid. Really, really, stupid._

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_**Aaaand there we have it. I've been a victim of that before; you know, texting someone that's sitting **_right _**there! XD Anyway, thank you all for reading! **_


	5. Heat

_**Thanks a bunch for reading! I'm glad many of you like it so far! The song Neru sang at their karaoke was "Lullaby". However, I didn't want to use the lyrics since I couldn't find them and didn't want to include them. **_

_**Disclaimer: Well, I'm poor. That should explain that I don't own anything.**_

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_**Popping a Bubble**_

_**Chapter 5: Heat**_

* * *

The school year finally came to a close, and with it, arrived summer vacation.

"Neru-chan," Miki greeted after the final bell rang, red hair tied up into a ponytail. She was excited to finally get to wear her summer clothes, but found herself feeling inferior to Neru's appearance. Having never seen her wearing anything _close_ to shorts or a tank top, she couldn't help staring at her longer than she needed. "You look so cute!"

Scoffing and slamming her empty locker shut, Neru deadpanned. "You saw me this morning and at lunch, you're barely noticing now?" she asked, rolling her eyes. She didn't want to admit it, but having someone like Miki to actually converse with made her happy. Just a little. "Don't you have shopping to do now?"

"Nope! Tonight we're going to karaoke to celebrate the beginning of summer!" Miki excitedly replied, throwing her arms outwards as they reached the outside of the school. "It's gonna be our last year too, so we have to have something to commemorate!"

Neru stopped walking, and felt her skin pale despite the warm air surrounding her. "You want me to go," she stated, dropping her shoulders. Miki nodded with an innocent smile, but it dropped when Neru went ahead in the opposite direction.

"Please?" she begged, running to catch up with her. It wasn't everyday she got a chance to talk to Neru after school, and she wasn't about to lose her chance. The blonde ignored her until they got to a stop light hundreds of feet away from the school, but Miki wasn't going to back down. "You don't even have to stay for long! Maybe like...half an hour?"

'Ten minutes." Neru kept her eyes straight, the setting afternoon sunlight nearly blinding her; she surely wished it did, for she wouldn't have to look at the annoying girl standing right next to her anymore. A gentle breeze blew her hair backwards, lightly brushing against Miki's cheeks, causing them to flush.

Pushing back the flustered thoughts, Miki coughed into her palm, "How about this? One song, you say bye, done deal!" Her cherry eyes started glittering, and were almost impossible to ignore. Once Neru's eyes had enough torture, she turned her head to the side and met with those gleaming eyes. It was like she suddenly was caught in a trap, and did nothing to turn away like she _should have_.

Neru sighed, dropping her head. "Fine," she agreed softly. The sign to cross the street changed, but Miki didn't move even when Neru was in the middle of the crosswalk. She stopping to turn and gave the redhead a confused look, but turned back around to continue her trek.

At the other side of the street, Miki waved with a smile on her face, "I'll text you later!"

The blonde stayed silent, unmoving despite the signal changing once more. "Yeah," she whispered, gripping the strap on her backpack tighter. Her mind remained blank through her whole walk until she opened the door to her house, hearing nothing but silence.

Her parents were working, and her brother, the idiot he was, was probably still hanging around school. Miki was probably doing the same, since she walked in the direction that led back to the building.

Neru grit her teeth and dropped her backpack to the floor, kicked off her shoes and sat on her bed. She pondered about the day, and the conversation she had with Miki earlier...

Since when did she go to karaoke? The last time she went, was with her family years ago, and even then it wasn't enjoyable, and now she was suddenly going. Neru dropped onto her back and blankly stared at her ceiling. "Stupid Miki..."

The clock ticked slowly, but Neru felt like time was flying at the pace the sun was setting. Eventually she got up and looked at the noisy clock to see she had spent over two hours in silence. She also noticed she missed over seven messages. When she opened her phone, her eye twitched. All seven messages from Miki.

_Annoying: _

_Sent: 2:05_

_Heyy! We decided karaoke will be at 9, so be ready! :3_

_Annoying:_

_Sent: 2:27_

_The place is called 'Krypton'!_

_Annoying: _

_Sent: 3:23_

_Miku-chan wants us all to go together, so we're meeting up at that pizza place we went to one time!_

"Oh, how great," Neru sarcastically told the air as she erased the message. She still had over four hours before she was going, but she felt that tug in her chest telling her not to go. She did have the power to just stay home, ignore the whole thing and enjoy a peaceful summer. But there was also a tug that told her to go, enjoy the night with her friends and finally _gain_ a social life.

Erasing the remaining texts she didn't read, Neru set her phone down and stood up, leaving her room in the direction of the bathroom to shower.

* * *

"You came!" Miki exclaimed in happiness, throwing herself on Neru to hug her. The others gave them a chuckle and Miku led the way to the karaoke bar.

The air was fresh and warm, although to Neru it felt like a furnace with Miki's arms crushing her own to keep her in place, as if she was worried the blonde would run off someplace. "Let go of me," she hissed through gritted teeth, not liking the stares strangers were giving them. What they were thinking was not what was really happening!

Neru hated it even more when they walked into the place, noise and people walking around and overall something Neru found incredibly irritating.

Their room was small, but they were able to fit and have enough room to breathe. That is, until Gakupo started going crazy with his ordering of food and drinks. Not that he or Luka were complaining, they looked like they were thoroughly enjoying the trays that kept entering.

"We're gonna have to go on long runs every morning then!" Miku announced to her girlfriend, poking Luka's nose. "We don't need you gaining twenty pounds over the summer."

"Are you calling me fat?"

Miku shrugged in nonchalance and stood to look through the songs on the machine. "Not fat, just...you don't handle junk food as well as some people do...and you don't really make an effort to avoid it." She gave the shocked and clearly offended Luka a kiss on her forehead, "But I still love you!"

Gakupo snickered and leaned into Luka's ear, "You know she totally just called you fat."

"Wait, Miku-chan!" Miki yelled, stopping the tealette from choosing a song to sing first. Neru felt her eyebrow twitching, and she checked her phone for the time. She'd been there way past her promised time, but the couch she was sitting on was currently extremely comfortable. Miki turned to her and held out her hand, making her jump in place. "Neru-chan wants to sing first!"

The others gave her a look she couldn't explain, but it was clear they didn't believe what Miki told them. Gakupo coughed into his hand, "Well, go ahead, Neru-san.."

Silently, and wishing for her death, Neru got up to the stand and stared at the machine. Her back was facing them, so they couldn't see her pale face full of fright and confusion. She didn't know how to use one of these! They looked so...updated, she didn't know what to press.

"Need help?" Miki asked, popping out to the side. Or rather, over her shoulder, with their bodies flush against each other. Neru felt her breathing quicken, and she swallowed to try and stop it. Miki's hand came around her side and touched the screen a few times to show her the menu of songs to choose from. "I think you'd do well with this one!"

Instead of letting her choose, Miki decided on the song she'd sing, and Neru almost fell over when the music ended up being soft and gentle.

She took in a deep breath and followed the words on screen, stumbling a little on some words. Her cheeks burned and Miki stayed close to her the entire time, making Neru wonder if they had the heaters on in the room or not. Miku was wide eyed and stood still, her face showing her amazement with Neru's voice.

"So cool," Gakupo complimented, leaning back in his seat. The room sat in silence for a moment before Luka got up with a smile, slamming her hands on Neru's shoulders.

Her teal eyes were full of envy and Neru could already see she had a plan in mind. "Where did you learn to sing like that?" she demanded, inching closer to the blonde with every word. Neru had no answer, so she stuck with just gulping and trying to step back.

"Hey, hey, hey," Miku said in monotone, grabbing Luka's ear. Ignoring the taller girl's pleas of pain, Miku dragged her by said ear back to their seats, letting Neru take in a deep breath.

Miki jumped on her again then, causing her breath to stop once more. The redhead rubbed their cheeks together, almost like Neru was her pet kitten. "You're so cool!" she cried, tightening her grip around Neru's neck.

"O-okay, let...go...!" Neru struggled to say, placing her arms on Miki's waist to push her away. A flash stopped her altogether, and Miku stood there with her phone, then noticed someone was watching and stuffed it back into her satchel.

The redhead giggled and pushed against Neru even more, getting her to stiffen, lift her arms and stare at her with wide eyes. Miki could see the sweat peppering on her forehead, and leaned in closer to her.

"Wait, what are you doin...h-hey...!"

Losing her balance, and trying to avoid Miki's forehead, the two of them fell backwards onto the stage. Miki, being the first to recover, hovered her face over Neru's, and grinned. The other girl had no strength to push her away, especially since she had nearly broken her back.

"Coming out wasn't so bad, now was it?" she chided playfully, flicking a few strands of Neru's hair.

There was incredible heat coming off of her face, but Neru made no move to hide it, so she just nodded.

"...Now get off."

* * *

_**I had a bit of trouble ending it, since I didn't know how to word it correctly, but it turned out pretty good I guess. Again, I'd like to thank everyone who's reading, I'm really proud that the first Neru/Miki story has been this successful so far. :) **_


	6. Fight

_**I'm not getting any email updates, but I'm glad everything else is working normally...FF can be weird sometimes.**_

_**Anyway, by reading the chapter name it's fairly obvious the story loses a huge portion of the humor and adds drama. Please don't hate me. :c**_

_**Disclaimer: I'm poor. Nuff said.**_

* * *

_**Popping a Bubble**_

_**Chapter 6: Fight**_

* * *

Gumi was never one to really bother other people she didn't know, and she liked to avoid actually confronting people in fear she'd have to be arrested for something else. But every time she saw Akita Neru walk in the classroom with that attitude she always had, especially after she had acted all high and mighty towards her, Gumi had wanted Neru's cheek to kiss her fist. Now that it was summer, they didn't see each other often, but when they did, Gumi's blood boiled.

Not only that, but all of a sudden, after she pointed out that she was interested in Furukawa Miki, Neru had to go and start getting _close_ to her. That served to only get Gumi more fired up to just go up to her and...

"Calm down, tiger," Masuda Lily smoothly said from the right of the shaking girl. Lily's hands went to unravel the tense muscles in Gumi's shoulders, "Why don't you just fight her?"

Gumi huffed and leaned back in her seat, quite enjoying the mini massage the blonde was giving her. Just rows ahead in the restaurant they were in, Neru was texting and eating at the same time. It was then Gumi realized the saying was true: once you hate someone, _everything_ they do annoys you. It was definitely true in her case. Just seeing that blonde side ponytail bothered her.

"I don't know," she answered. There were plenty of opportunities for her to go ahead and take a swing, but she never did, and it bothered her that she was such a coward. She turned to look at Lily, "But I think I'm going to."

Lily shrugged, leaning back in her chair again. Her icy blue eyes were unreadable, and Gumi felt a shiver go down her spine just by looking into them. "You do what you want. Just know Furukawa might hate you afterward." Lily wasn't an idiot despite her bad grades; she could clearly see Miki had an intense crush on the girl Gumi hated, but she'd never tell Gumi that. She hated to see her upset more than anything, and it made _her_ slightly angry that Neru could be a little viscous without knowing it.

"Whatever. If she ends up going out with her, then she _was_ just a dumbass to begin with," Gumi shrugged, turning back around to stare at the back of Neru's head. Lily shook her head and rested it on the table, mumbling something about the food.

When they were done and Neru was about to leave, Gumi was quick on her feet in order to catch up with the fast paced blonde. "Damn you walk fast," she panted once she caught up with her. Lily made her leisurely walk outside and didn't bother to rush. Neru raised an eyebrow at her, then they furrowed at the sight of Gumi's not-so friendly face she showed before.

"I'm starting to get a little irritated with you," the green-haired girl stated, stuffing her hands in her jean pockets. Gumi felt her shoulders shake, wanting to desperately swing at that moment, but held back once again for no reason. "You like being a bitch to people and you don't even care, that really pisses me off you know?"

Neru gave Gumi her full attention, sticking her feet to the floor. She knew what was going to happen, but it didn't bother her; she _knew_ a lot of people didn't like her, and it was only a matter of time before one of them came up to confront her about it. The first one just so happened to be someone she didn't like either. "You want to fight?" she asked calmly, clenching her fists tighter at her sides. "Fine. Let's fight."

Gumi was shocked she had caught on so fast, and didn't really believe what she had just heard. "Right now?" she blurted, immediately turning red at the slip up. However, that didn't stop her from letting her anger take over. "Fine. I know just the place, so follow me."

It didn't take an idiot to figure out what was going on, but most people they passed by ignored their presences. A more than angry leader, a calm blonde, and another blonde looking a little excited made it obvious something was going to happen, but it wasn't their business, so they wouldn't interfere or ask questions.

After who knows how long, Neru found herself standing in an empty lot, looking more like a makeshift baseball field. Her golden eyes got stuck when Gumi was holding a baseball bat in her hands.

"That's not fair," Lily called out from the side, walking over to the green-haired girl. With quiet chatter and a whine later, Gumi was left bare-handed. However, Lily didn't go back to her spot. Instead, she was behind Neru and holding her back within seconds. The taller girl leaned forward, "I'm sorry," she whispered in Neru's ear before a hard punch sent them staggering backwards.

Neru's head was thrown to the side, her left cheek a bright red. Gumi put it back into place and tugged her head upwards, slamming their foreheads together. "You think by being oh-so smart nobody's gonna bother you?" she asked, giving Neru's stomach a hard hit. The blonde lost some of her breath, which made it easier for Lily to hold her. "Well welcome to reality! It's not this fairy-tale world where life is all candy and rainbows!"

"But it's not all negativity," Lily added with a smile. Her comment made Gumi freeze in place to give her a look, and she laughed. "Sorry. Proceed."

It took more than ten hits to send Neru to the ground, but Gumi didn't resort to kicking her; she got on top of her and hammered away as much as she could, until Lily became aware of how dangerous it was becoming.

Lily could almost barely recognize Neru's face anymore, her hair was stuck and spread out all over her face, but it wasn't the only thing covering it either.

"Stop, Gumi!" she cried, trying to pry her off of the unconscious Neru. Blood was everywhere at this point, and she felt a pang in her heart that told her this wasn't the best choice. "Gumi, you've done enough! Stop!"

It took a while for Gumi to come to her senses, but when she did, she found herself on the ground with a pair of wide blue eyes full of anger. Lily's grip on her arms was painful, almost as hard as her punches, but what was the most scary was how she felt liquid touching her legs.

"I told you to stop," Lily whispered, tightening her grip. Gumi winced, but that didn't stop the angry blonde one bit. "Do you realize you could have killed her?!"

Gumi took in a sharp breath, and freed herself from Lily's grip. Rolling out from under her, Gumi stared at what she had done. She hadn't intended to actually create bloodshed, and the sight of Neru's state left her shaking. "Lily, we have to...we have to call someone..." she murmured, her shaky legs making her unable to stand. As tough as she tried to look, even Gumi wasn't a stone.

Lily nodded and found Neru's phone lying in the dirt off to the side. Thankful it hadn't been damaged, she looked through her contacts to find someone she knew. Unfortunately, out of the five that she had, Lily chose to dial whoever _Annoying_ was.

"Neru-chan?" a girly voice answered, pop music in the background. Lily gulped, trying to find the right words. The silence took the other girl by surprise, "Neru-chan, you there?! You okay?"

Coughing, Lily gulped again, "This isn't Neru, but...you can find her at the lot by Rainbow Bakery. Bye." She slammed the phone shut before the other girl could answer and turned to Gumi with a soft glare. Gumi was pale and frightened, but most of all regretful, she could tell. Ignoring the ring tone coming from Neru's phone, Lily helped her stand. "We need to get to a hospital, but right now you need to take off your jacket and put it under her head."

Gumi nodded and did as she was told, nearly throwing the thing onto the ground. She also wiped a bit of blood off of her face and felt tears coming to her eyes. Lily pulled her from her spot and dragged her away, feeling an uneasy feeling rise in her stomach.

* * *

"Neru-chan!"

"Oh my god, Gakupo! Call an ambulance!"

"I didn't bring my phone!"

"Damn! Miku, go to the closest place and ask to use their phone, hurry!"

"Right!"

Neru could feel the world spinning, but didn't dare open her eyes. Not that she could, anyway. Any movement made her flinch in pain, not even a finger lift seemed possible. She felt the only thing she could find functional were her ears, so she stuck with listening to whoever was talking.

A hand softly brushed against her cheek, and she flinched at the pain surging through her at the light touch. "Neru-chan?" Miki. Miki was touching her. Then the others had to be screaming.

"Stop touching me," Neru snapped, finally finding her voice. She forced her eyes open, not caring if the sudden light hurt them. Right now she wanted to go home and sleep, and that's what she was going to do. Miki's face entered her vision, cherry red eyes full of unshed tears; it looked like she was trying to hold them back. However, that wasn't important right now. Right now Neru needed to go home.

"Gakupo-kun, she's awake!" Miki yelled, stabbing Neru's ears and causing her head to throb. No more than a second passed before their sole male friend was sitting at her side, his hands going under her knees.

Neru wanted to protest. She felt the words on her tongue, but they didn't make it out of her mouth, irritating her more and more as she realized how useless she was. They shouldn't have seen this side of her, _she_ shouldn't have seen this side of her. "Stop," she weakly whispered, not resisting as she was placed on Gakupo's back.

Luka checked her face from the other side of the purple-haired boy. Her hands barely touched her skin, afraid of causing more pain. "I'll go check on Miku, you two wait here until we get back!" Gakupo nodded and watched as Luka ran off into the busy streets.

Miki covered her face with her hands, not wanting Neru to hear her sobbing. Less than a week ago they were enjoying a night out with karaoke, and now...she couldn't believe this could happen, and to Neru no less! "This isn't fair," she cried, sniffling. "Why Neru-chan?"

"Who knows, but right now we should worry about keeping her alive...oi, you listening?" He jostled the girl about to sleep on him, and she gave him a blank stare, her form of a glare. Gakupo sighed, tapping his foot. Even if he was the only guy, carrying Neru was proving to be difficult.

Just as his arms were about to give out, both girls and a few adults came running in, shouting things nobody could understand but they ended up in a hospital with even more yelling, some confusing directions later and then in a silent waiting room.

Miku shook her leg in impatience, but Luka stopped it by placing her hand on her knee. "She'll be fine, don't worry," she whispered, taking the girl's hand. Her direction switched to Gakupo's, where he was holding up a jacket with a confusing expression. "Something on your mind?"

"Mm," he nodded, throwing the jacket over to her. Both their eyes connected, silently speaking, before Luka tossed it over to him, wiping her hand on the chair's armrest. "I think..." Gakupo said after a while, closing his eyes, "We're in need of a family reunion."

* * *

_**WAAAHHH. I'm so sorry for throwing this at you guys. But don't worry, this will be the only negative chapter of them all I promise! Everything from here is candy and rainbows! **_


	7. Friends

_**Hm...I dunno what to say here, so… read on!**_

_**Wait! The **_Tigers_** are a Japanese baseball team, in case anybody cared.**_

_**Disclaimer: I'm poor. Nuff said.**_

* * *

_**Popping a Bubble**_

_**Chapter 7: Friends**_

* * *

Gakupo wandered the hospital in an attempt to get rid of the numb feeling in his legs. It had been hours since they arrived, and Miku had fallen asleep thirty minutes ago, leaving him and Luka in silence. Miki had ran off to find Neru's room and refused to leave until she was allowed inside to check on her.

He sighed, reaching a vending machine. "Summer's full of activities, huh," he told himself, taking out a few coins. He got something for all of them, but dropped everything when he turned. Standing there with a wide-eyed expression was Gumi, and a blonde girl he hadn't met before.

"Gakupo?" the green-haired girl whispered, taking a step backwards. However, Lily stopped her by grabbing her shoulders, forcing her to stay put. The two watched Gakupo grab his fallen items and then stand up straight with a glare.

"I don't know what you were thinking when you did that to her," he said, stepping to the side to go around them. "But you'd better get your ass to her room and apologize."

Before he left, Lily grabbed his shirt, giving him a suspicious stare. "How did you find out?" she asked, letting his shirt go for him to turn around again. Then realization rose on her features, "The jacket..."

"The jacket," Gakupo repeated, leaving them to stand in silence.

Lily sighed and lightly ran a hand through Gumi's hair, seeing the broken look on her face. What Gakupo had said was completely true, and not only did Gumi need to apologize, but Lily as well.

"Come on, let's find out where she's at," the blonde advised, tugging on Gumi's arm.

They slowly made their way through the halls and Lily took the lead up to the main desk. The man sitting there stared at them for a few seconds, then jumped. "Ah! Sorry about that!" he apologized with a nervous laugh. Lily stayed silent, but gave him the best intimidating look she could paste on her face.

"We're looking for a Neru-san," she said, biting her tongue at how icy her voice sounded. For a few seconds, all they could hear was the beeping of monitors and a few people murmuring things to each other. Gumi took in a deep breath and released it, showing her impatience.

The man jumped again, and Lily rolled her eyes, stepping closer to the desk. "Today, please?" she asked, placing both hands on the marble counter.

"Right away!"

* * *

Neru took in a deep breath through her nose, darkness slowly fading away from her vision. There was only a dim light somewhere in the corner of wherever she was, a dark orange light coming in from the open window.

Her head hurt, so much so she had to shut her eyes in an attempt to get rid of it. There was someone else stumbling about in the background, and despite the pain her head was going through, Neru turned her head and opened one throbbing eye.

Bright red cherry eyes were staring right back at her, full of tears and relief and all sorts of emotions Neru couldn't name.

Miki sniffled, inching her face closer to Neru's beat up one. There were clear black spots around both her eyes, a cut on the corner of her mouth, and her cheeks were heavily covered in bruises.

"Neru-chan?" she whispered, sitting on her knees to get even closer. She saw Neru flinch and move away, anger in her golden eyes. Miki didn't budge, however. "How did you-"

The door swung open, revealing two girls, hair glowing from the light pouring in through the hallway.

Neru clutched the sheets tighter, glaring holes into Gumi's face, although she didn't have the strength to say anything. The first to walk in was Lily, who held up a hand to stop the injured blonde from saying anything, "Hang on, we've got something to say," she said, looking down at Miki. She flinched at seeing the stream of tears running down her face, and glanced at Gumi, who was doing the same as her.

"Uh...would you mind waiting outside? This is super private!" Lily said, holding her hands up in a sort of prayer, hoping Miki would comply. Fortunately, she did. Miki stood from her position on the floor and looked between the three.

"O...okay..." She hesitated, but slowly left the room, giving Neru an apologetic look before closing the door.

Now in silence and darkness aside from the evening light, Neru stayed silent, but kept as much as her angry face on as she could. It hurt her eyes dearly and she just wanted to sleep, but her trust for the two was to the point she didn't want to blink.

Gumi scratched the back of her head, averting her eyes from the beat up blonde. The result was what she should've wanted, and she should've been happy to see it, but she wasn't. Not even a little.

"I'm sorry," Lily said first, bowing her head. Her eyes were closed, and Neru stayed with a neutral expression in case she was kidding. But she didn't move an inch, even keeping her head in place until Gumi sighed.

"Y-yeah...that wasn't...cool of us..." she muttered, wincing when Lily punched her shoulder."Agh! Okay, okay..." Gumi gulped but bowed her head as well, "I shouldn't have been...you know, a bitch."

Neru was at a loss for words, but kept her wall up. She didn't believe they were serious, especially on the same day they had decided to beat her up. "Um," she blurted, grabbing their attention. She loosened her hold on the sheets and sighed, shaking her head. The movement only served to make her headache worse, but she ignored the pain and looked back up at the two.

"You guys...are dumb," she stated, saying nothing else.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Yeah, I guess we are, huh?" Lily pushed Gumi closer to the bed and grabbed her shoulders from behind, peering over her head. Gumi whined, but her words were ignored for the moment, "Does that mean you're alright? With us, I mean..."

Neru nodded, leaning against her pillow. She wanted them to leave, if that was all they wanted, and it seemed Gumi wanted the same, but Lily stayed in place. Neru almost _wanted _Miki back in the room to break the continuous silence, but if she was right, the only reason she left was because of how scary Lily looked.

"Okay, Lily..." Gumi said, pushing the taller blonde off of her, ready to head to the door. Any more time spent in the room would surely make her feel uncomfortable, not that it already _wasn't_. "Let's go."

Lily pulled her back with a smile on her face, icy blue eyes full of excitement and sudden joy. She then turned to Neru with her fistful of Gumi's shirt, and placed her free hand on her hip. "Let's be friends!" she announced, holding her head high with her eyes closed.

Both Gumi and Neru stared at her with blank expressions that told her she was crazy.

"You're kidding," Gumi said in monotone, pointing at Neru. In turn, Neru glared at her, "You want _us_ to be...friends."

Lily nodded, letting go of Gumi to cross her arms. She sneered a little and leaned closer to her, "Is that a bad thing?" she asked, getting a harsh shake of Gumi's head. Turning to Neru, she gave her a normal smile, "So, be friends!"

"No," Neru said, turning to her side so her back was facing them. She'd finally be able to sleep.

Gumi's eyebrow twitched, and she threw her hands on Neru's bed to get her to turn her head with an annoyed expression on her face. "Hey! We're trying to be _nice_ here!" she yelled.

"So?"

"We're gonna be friends!"

"No we're not."

Lily smiled at their banter, and remembered that Miki was still standing outside. She went to open the door but screamed when bodies came flying in, crushing her. The two stopped their arguing to see the pile of limbs on the floor.

"Oh!" Miku said, on her back with her legs bent over her face. On top of her were Gakupo's legs, who's top half to her right was being crushed by Miki, and Luka was somewhere underneath them all.

Yet another silence.

"So, uh...how about them Tigers, huh?" Miku laughed, out of breath.

Eventually they were kicked out for being a disturbance, but Gumi stayed back a little while, sitting in a comfortable silence with Neru. The two of them didn't say anything for a while, but Gumi checked her phone for the time and sighed, especially since it was getting dark outside. Still in silence, she stood up and placed the chair back where it was, turning to look at the blonde.

"Hey," she called out, sticking a hand into her back pocket. Neru glanced at her, and Gumi could see the exhaustion written on her face. She set down a piece of paper onto the small table to the side of the bed, and walked to the door, her back to the blonde. "Later," she said, spinning to grin at her before walking out.

Lily was leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the door, grinning like an idiot. "So, how does it feel?" she asked, walking with Gumi to the exit. It was quiet for a moment before the green-haired girl scoffed. "Come on!" Lily begged, pulling a few strands of her hair.

"Ow! Damn, persistent," Gumi cried, rubbing the back of her head, "Nice I guess. But whatever, I need a smoke right now." She fiddled in her pockets for a moment before dropping her head on Lily's shoulder in the elevator. "They were in my jacket..."

The blonde laughed at her misfortune, and she simply groaned. Then, the phone she forgot she had in her pocket loudly rang, scaring both of them enough to slam into the window. "You're not deaf!" Lily yelled, snatching the phone to put it on silent. The number she didn't recognize caught her attention, and she opened the message to read its contents. "Ohhh, so you _are_ friends! How cute," she gushed, handing Gumi's phone back to her.

"Shut up, no we're not!" she denied loudly while putting her phone back into her pocket, ignoring the heat on her cheeks.

* * *

"Neru-chan!"

"Just let me sleep for one day, then you can talk to me."

Miki pouted, setting down the tray of food she brought. Neru was going to be discharged in a few days after being tested a couple of times, and Miki was going to make sure to stay there until she was. "Can I sleep next to you?" she innocently asked with half-lidded eyes. Neru had her eyes closed, so it was a useless attempt. "Aww...come on..."

The blonde turned to her side, and shuffled underneath the sheets a bit until she was on the other end, far away from Miki.

"Meanie!" the redhead pouted again, crossing her arms. It wasn't until Neru turned to her with a glare and a blush on her face that she got the hint. "Ohh!" She smiled and threw herself on the bed, making both of them fly upwards. Neru groaned, regretting letting her stay.

"Don't bother me," she snapped, letting out a sharp breath from her nose. Miki made a noise of understanding and stayed quiet, silently watching Neru's back rise and fall. Slowly, her eyes fell and she eventually fell asleep as well.

The next morning, Miku and Lily woke up the cuddly duo by taking pictures of them at every angle, while Luka had set her phone to record them. Even the nurses couldn't help it, and Neru had never felt so humiliated in her life. Even Miki looked a little embarrassed, and that was saying something.

Lily latched onto them, pressing their cheeks together lightly to avoid giving Neru any pain. "You guys are soo cute when you sleep!"

Being friends with Lily was definitely going to be a horrible influence. Neru could already tell.

* * *

_**Woohoo! We've got two new characters now! Lily and Gumi shall return as part of the normal group now! Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter, I really enjoyed writing it. xD**_


	8. Outing

**_Hope you enjoy this one! It's a little longer than the rest, but longer chapters are widely accepted, aren't they?_**

**_Disclaimer: I'm poor. Nuff said._**

* * *

**_Popping a Bubble_**

**_Chapter 8: Outing_**

* * *

Summer was still going strong, with two months left until their new year started, and upon waking one morning with a grand idea, Miki decided they were all going to the amusement park.

Of course, she had to persuade Neru into going, and it was currently a struggle, especially through the phone. The redhead huffed, slamming her hand down on her desk with the tickets already sitting there. "You're going!" she repeated for the fourth time that morning, earning the usual silence. It had been thirty minutes since she first called the healing blonde, and she was persistent in refusing the offer.

"I don't want to," Neru repeated as well, voice neutral but insistent. Usually it wasn't this hard to drag Neru out from her comfort zone, but Miki knew it was because she simply didn't want to step outside with her face still a little beaten up. Even Gumi had a hard time taking the girl seriously when they went to visit her; Lily had given her a large scolding for that, but even she couldn't hold back from laughing a little.

Ego aside, Miki also knew Neru did want to go, so she would do anything in her power to bother her until she agreed. "I'm coming over then, and Miku-chan is going to be there to record a video of you healing and post it on Facebook!" When push came to shove, she had no choice but blackmail...

Neru suddenly made incoherent noises from her throat, making the trumpets of victory ring in Miki's ears. "So you'll go?" she asked in a giggly tone, spinning in her chair.

It was silent, aside from a background voice speaking to Neru in an equally indifferent tone. Miki had never met Nero before visiting her friend, and although he was almost Neru's equal in every aspect, he had the decency to be nice to his sister's friends. "Fine," the blonde spat into her phone, hanging up.

Miku was laying on Miki's bed with her phone in hand, a stick of pocky hanging from her lips. She bit the tip of it and glanced at her giggly friend with a smile. "I don't know why you don't just ask her out," she casually pointed out, sending a toothy smirk, "You know what they say about those kittens on the streets?"

"Whoa! No way, Miku-chan!" Miki yelled, her face glowing red. She pressed her hands against her cheeks and closed her eyes in a dreamy state despite her words, "Though...I get what you mean~"

_No...I don't think you do..._Miku thought, giving her an uncomfortable smile. However, she kept any more comments to herself, and simply looked down at her phone. Nothing on her social network was getting any updates, so she opted to turn her phone off and lay down.

"Should we go? There really is nothing to do..." Since Luka was being a nerd and studying for college tests, she had to decline the invite, and Miku noticed the lack of her being around made the days incredibly boring. Not that her friends were boring in the slightest.

Miki hummed, leaning backwards in her seat. "I guess, but Luka-chan won't be there and it wouldn't be as fun..." she said, slightly feeling the same as Miku. "But I guess we can pull her out of her house one more time. We all know she doesn't study," Miki laughed at the thought of Luka sitting in a dark room playing hand held video games all day. Miku introduced them to the sight one rainy day and they swore to never let her live it down.

The tealette stopped thinking then, and turned her head to Miki with a blank stare. "We're going today. All of us."

* * *

Gumi and Lily stared at the two staring at them from across the walkway, both of them holding very creepy, misplaced (on Gumi's part) smiles on their faces. Miki could detect the scent of marijuana from where they stood, but Miku seemed to ignore it, hopping up the porch steps to greet the two girls.

"Yo!" Gumi replied happily, sounding the happiest she ever had. Lily nodded her head, turning it away from the tealette in order to blow out the smoke in her mouth. "Usually both of you are sleeping, why'd you wake up so early, huh?" the green-haired girl asked curiously, cocking her head to the side.

Miku plopped down a few feet away from them, kicking her legs on the cement porch. "Hm.. well, we never have anything to do! that's why we're always sleeping!" she lightly pushed Gumi to prove a point, "But today we're going to the amusement park!"

Lily lit up at the mention and almost dropped her joint, "Amusement park?! Man, I haven't been to one of those in years! I'm definitely in!" She laughed like a little girl given her favorite doll, finishing off the rest of whatever she was smoking to jump up. "I'm going home to shower and change, but we'll meet up again here!"

"Well, this is my house, so you're really the only one going anywhere," Gumi pointed out, getting kicked in the shin as a result. Instead of yelling in pain she simply snickered, falling onto her back.

"You sure bringing these two is safe?" Miku asked, laying on her side to poke Gumi's cheek. The other girl smacked her hand away playfully, sending her a toothy grin; it was obvious whatever they had been smoking was causing her to act like this, but Miku didn't mind it much. She found it rather enjoyable to see Gumi at least smile more than she normally did.

Miki nodded, placing both hands on her hips. "Definitely! Now, Gumi-chan!" she addressed the pile of laughing mess on the floor sternly, getting Gumi to lift her head. "I want you in that shower and ready within the next fifteen minutes! Can you do it and beat Lily-chan?!"

"Yes, ma'am!" she replied, saluting her for a few seconds before jumping up and dashing into her house, slamming the door into the wall. Miki burst out laughing and joined Miku in laying on the porch.

Instead of starting a conversation, Miku lifted her phone into her ear and spoke, "Gakupo-chan~ answer the phone! If you don't, Miki-chan will reveal a certain contact and-"

"Why, good morning, Miku!" a deep voice answered quickly, earning a laugh. Gakupo huffed into the phone, "What are you calling me so early for?"

"We're going to the amusement park so make sure you're ready!" Miku gave him no time to retort as she hung up after yelling at him, holding a thumbs up to the redhead. "He's coming!"

After a couple of minutes of waiting, Gumi stepped out, smelling clean and wearing acceptable clothes to go out. Both shorter girls stared at her before nodding, and Lily appeared at the same time, waving her arms in the air to get their attention. "Come on!" she yelled at the sidewalk, gaining looks from a few morning joggers.

Miki opened her phone to call Neru again, but found the blonde had already messaged her. Smiling, she read the text.

_Neru-chan:_

_Sent: 7:36am_

_Stop walking, I see you._

"Wow, she actually came on her own!" Gumi exclaimed, running to the slow paced Neru, who wore pretty large bandages on her face to cover up her bruises. Upon reaching her, Gumi slung an arm around her shoulders, "What's up?"

Neru gave her a disgusted side glance, shrugging her off with ease. "Stupid," she stated, brushing past her to join the stopped three. Lily waved at her energetically, while Miku smiled at her and Miki jumped on her for a hug. Neru grunted at the impact, successfully catching the smiling redhead.

The five of them (aside from Neru) chattered aimlessly until they reached an apartment building forty minutes later, both Gumi and Lily looking around in suspicion. Miku didn't seem to mind despite the tough looking people walking around and staring at them like they were wild animals.

"This place isn't safe!" Lily exclaimed loudly, making Miku turn to raise an eyebrow at her. A few people exchanged greetings with the petite girl, and Lily's jaw dropped at the sights.

Gumi beat her to her question, however. "Why do people know you so much? You're not..." both she and Lily gasped, stopping their walking to jump backwards in sync. "A drug lord?!"

"Stupid stoners," Neru muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Hey, at least we have a sense of humor!" Gumi replied, punching out a thumbs up at her. She dropped it and groaned when Neru simply kept walking, leaving the two behind. "Hey!"

Lily spun in a circle, dropping both her arms on Miku's shoulders. "You're _girlfriend_ lives around here, doesn't she?" she drawled, dropping the side of her head against Miku's, "I thought she was a posh princess."

"Don't judge a book by its cover, Lily-chan!" Miki said, sticking both hands into her back pockets. The morning heat wasn't as bad as the afternoon, which she knew she was going to regret wearing jeans for. The tallest of them all spun with Miku in her arms and threw them out into the air.

"But she looks so rich! I mean come on, I expected _this one_ over here to live with mold and mice," she said, pointing at Gumi.

Miku shook her head, dropping her forehead into her palm, "She doesn't live here, she lives in the condos just after this area!" She got the same reaction with Gakupo when the two walked to Luka's place for the first time, and sure enough he went on a rant about how he didn't judge over a person's living situation. She couldn't help but laugh at the images filtering her head though. "I think she'll end up with mold and mice if she keeps up her habits!"

Both she and Miki broke out into laughter, even Neru ended up smiling to herself a little bit. Gumi didn't seem to get it, and decided to laugh awkwardly despite Lily's evil smile pointed at her.

* * *

"Come on, Luka!" Miku yelled from upstairs, the open window letting out everything that was being said from the room. Just as Miki predicted, Luka hadn't been studying, but playing a game she bought recently in the darkness of her room. Neru and Gumi watched the window from outside while Lily raided Luka's fridge after getting permission from Luka's cousin.

Miki was with said cousin watching the usual TV show they liked and watched together often, _Survivor_. Yuuma turned to her with a smirk, "Five says Luka looks like crap."

"Ten! Wearing that really ugly lavender shirt!" The two shook hands and continued watching, commenting a few times while the usual argument arose from upstairs; it was nothing they were going to intervene in, as it wasn't something too important.

Of course, ten minutes later harsh footsteps stomped on the wooden stairs, revealing a thoroughly exhausted looking Miku and a sulking Luka. Miki and Yuuma both high fived, the pink-haired boy reaching into his pocket to hand her the promised bill. "You got lucky," he said, flicking her abnormal piece of hair.

Although it was one of her hobbies she actually cared about, Luka and her gaming could become dangerous if Miku didn't threaten her with all sorts of silly ideas. One of them she used was a threat to throw out Luka's possessions into the yard where Gumi might just catch them and run off after being given "treasure from the Gods", seeing as she _was_ in a delirious state.

Neru and said Gumi waited outside for everyone, sitting in an awkward silence. They pondered going inside to join the others, but Neru pointed out they'd be leaving soon anyway. However, it was soon broken when Miki stepped out, the crunch of the grass getting their attention.

"Enjoying a moment _alone_?" she asked, dangling both arms from Neru's shoulders with a giggle. Neru tried pushing her off but Miki wouldn't budge, leaving her to sigh in defeat. Gumi shook her head with a loud laugh, falling on her back with a cry. "I'm kidding," Miki laughed, pocking Gumi's shoulder with the tip of her sandal.

"I'd probably make out with Lily before I'd ever like being alone with her," Gumi sighed in a dramatic tone, shielding her eyes with her arms. Neru glared at her, shutting both eyes tightly when Miki's chest came into contact with the back of her head. "Red, you might wanna get off of her," the green-haired girl advised, holding one finger up, "The power of love has no effect on physical damage!"

Both girls blushed, and Miki flew off of Neru's back in an instant, playing with her fingers. Gumi snorted, holding her stomach to let out a laugh. She groaned in pain when something cold hit the back of her hands, Lily casually walking out with a pile of snacks in her arms.

They both turned to Neru and Miki, giving them a serious, blank look. "Munchies!"

Neru shook her head, "Stupid stoners..." She ignored the pressure of Miki's body on her side, the other girl leaning into her. She figured it wouldn't help trying to push her off, and if she did, the two cows on her right would tease her about it for who knows how long.

Her phone buzzed, and Neru opened it only to look away from the morning sun already able to blind her through the screen. She cursed Luka's housing being on a hill. Miki laughed, going through her own phone as well.

_Moron:_

_Sent: 8:29_

_Hey, where are you guys?! I'm at the park but I don't see you anywhere?_

Neru stared at her phone like it was stupid, and shook her head. "Idiot," she whispered, glancing to the side to see if the couple inside was going to make any sort of effort to hurry up.

"Gakupo-chan!" Miku screamed from the inside, piercing the ears of anyone within a mile radius. It seemed they all got the same message.

Gumi and Lily simultaneously started choking on their snacks, and Miki began running in and out like a maniac, pulling a wet-haired Luka and a nervous Miku outside. Yuuma bid them goodbye, closing the door gently, but not before giving his cousin a sinister smirk.

"This isn't good..." Luka said, holding up her soaked hair. Lucky enough she was able to at least put on some clothes, otherwise she'd be out in a towel.

Neru sighed, getting up from her spot on the floor. "Let's go," she said, popping her back a little before leading the rest.

"Ah, Neru-chan!" Miki yelled, catching up to her. The two shared a one-sided argument for a moment before the shorter girl linked their arms, lighting Neru's ears up to a dark red.

Miku held up her phone to take a shot of it, while Lily, ahead of her, laughed and took a shot of them from the front. "Lily-chan, make sure you get the back, too! My phone's acting up!" she lied, snickering when Neru jumped and tried pushing Miki away.

"You two are going to be the death of them," Luka laughed, running a hand through her drying hair. Without a straightener or hairdryer, she was sure her hair was going to turn out like an afro. "Did you post it already?" She leaned down to see it already on the girl's wall.

After hours of Gumi and Lily jumping like idiots and gaining unwanted attention, they arrived at the amusement park, with a sweating Gakupo being the first attraction. Miku handed him a water bottle to chug down while the two intoxicated girls blew air onto him by waving their arms in the air. Many older people stared at Gakupo, surrounded by pretty girls despite four of them having their own conversations, looking like the ultimate playboy.

Miki grabbed hold of Neru's arm again, beginning to pull her away from the rowdy group. In turn, Neru stared at her in resistance.

"Neru-chan, let's go on the Ferris Wheel!" Miki suggested giddily, pulling harder on Neru's arm.

"Be trapped in a small cabin with you, or throw up on a roller coaster..." Neru mumbled grouchily, though everyone could hear her.

"Well, let's do both!" Miku shouted like a kid in a candy store.

"First ride the biggest one, _woo_!" Lily exclaimed, imitating roller coaster sounds quite well.

"No way! Let's go on the water one, _whoosh_!" Gumi yelled in protest, throwing her hands in the air.

"Wait, Miku, help me with my hair in the bathroom, please?" Luka said calmly, seeming to be the only one in the group who wasn't yelling.

"H-hold on! You're gonna forget me, again?!"

* * *

**_WOW, did I have fun with this one! Granted there wasn't much going on between Neru and Miki, there shall be more progress next chapter!_**


	9. Rain

_**Yaaay! We've reached chapter 9! :D**_

_**Disclaimer: I'm poor. Nuff said.**_

* * *

_**Popping a Bubble**_

_**Chapter 9: Rain**_

* * *

The heat was definitely becoming a sort of nuisance to everyday life, so of course a random summer rain was welcomed with open arms, cold droplets like a fresh blow of cold air in the desert. Usually it wouldn't get as hot as it did, but if they were rewarded with light rain for it, nobody could complain.

Neru was grateful for the weather, as no annoying friends of hers could barge in and bother her. None of them liked the rain, after all. It got better when she realized her brother had gone somewhere with his own friends, leaving her alone in the house for majority of the day.

"Whatever," she mumbled, dropping onto her couch. The morning chores were done, the house was cleaned, and she deserved some relaxation for once. Switching on the TV, nothing really caught her attention, until she fell upon a few suspicious channels. "Gross..."

She ended up using a music channel as background noise while using her phone to entertain herself. The lack of light coming in from the window made her oddly comfortable, and she yawned a little, feeling somewhat sleepy.

After a half hour, her stomach rumbled, but she refused to get up, choosing to take a gulp of her cranberry juice. Neru shuddered with a shaky sigh, but put it down gently on the coffee table she was using as a foot stool.

The rain hadn't let up, which meant going to the convenience store was a no-go, and there was no way she was going to try cooking. "Whatever..." she mumbled, crossing her arms over her stomach.

She hadn't gotten a text from Miki yet, which was odd considering she'd send her a message or two around this time. Neru stared at her last message sent to the redhead, having been last night before she fell asleep, and Miki hadn't replied. It didn't bother her, even though regularly texting the other girl had become a sort of habit.

There was almost a whole hour of silence, until a long, continuous ring from her doorbell rang, then a light tap on the door. Neru sighed, cursing her luck. She counted to ten and stood from her warm spot on the couch, going to answer it.

"Hi, Neru-chan!" Miki cheerfully greeted, soaking from head to toe. Her bright smile, in contrast of the darkness everywhere, blinded Neru for a moment before the blonde was thrown backwards with a wet Miki hugging her.

She wondered for a moment what would happen if she returned the hug, her arms surely needed to go somewhere... Neru grit her teeth, and right when Miki was about to pull away, she was pulled back in a tight embrace. "Oh!" she squealed, her hands on Neru's shoulders.

The moment she realized what she did, Neru jumped back, as if Miki was on fire. "Wh-what are you doing here?" she snapped, turning her head away to the TV playing an indecent music video.

Miki giggled at what she saw but stayed put at her current spot. "Well, is it bad that I wanted to see you?" she teased, giving Neru an innocent smile. The other girl flinched and turned around, pointing to the stairs.

"Go... take a shower. I don't need you getting me sick," she said with a shaky voice, standing in a stiff place to avoid curious red eyes. Miki smiled, although Neru couldn't see it, and nodded, taking a step forward after taking off her shoes.

"Thank you, Neru-chan!"

While Miki was showering, Neru stood at the door, staring at the neat pile of clothes on the short stool. She was annoyed at how lightly Miki dressed when it was raining and probably a little cold outside. So she picked up the pile of wet clothing and headed to the laundry room, sticking them in the dryer with a loud slam, trying to press her now cold hands to her hot cheeks. "Just so I don't have to lend her my clothes..."

She was sitting on the couch again, the light in the kitchen switched on to not make the entire downstairs dark. Neru was watching a show about crime and people getting arrested when a white towel invaded her vision. It took her a few moments to figure out what was happening until she heard a voice.

"Um, Neru-chan? What happened to my clothes?" Miki asked in confusion, her face a bright red. Gold eyes were wide, and staring at her in surprise while she was fidgeting in place. The redhead gulped, averting her eyes to break the eye contact. Neru jumped at the realization of what she was doing and coughed, getting up to get Miki to follow her.

Her cheeks were definitely red, but Neru ignored it. It was just Miki in a towel, it wasn't like she was parading around her house with nothing on. With that thought in mind, she managed to erase any and all thoughts while opening up the dryer. "Here," she said in monotone, handing the girl her clothes, making sure to keep her eyes forward.

Miki took them gently. Using the warm clothes as a cushion, fell on Neru's back to give her a hug. Damp arms wrapped around her neck, almost stopping the blonde's breathing despite being inches away from her skin. They exchanged no words, and Miki bounded off back into the bathroom to get dressed, while Neru slammed her forehead against the metal dryer.

Now glowing, Miki was sitting on the couch with a bright smile on her face, Neru leaning away from her a little, trying to focus on what was on the TV. "Stop that," she said bluntly, putting her chin on her palm.

"What?" Miki asked, her smile wavering a little. It didn't look like she was even trying to hide her joy.

"Your...smiles. They're creepy." She didn't want to go into detail, so she ignored Miki when she tried prying out an explanation.

They sat in silence, Neru welcoming it and Miki becoming uncomfortable. In the end, Neru sighed, finding nothing to watch and finally feeling uncomfortable. "Okay. What are you doing here again?" she asked, rubbing her eye a little. Her brother should be getting home soon if she predicted right, and then her parents would come a few hours after that. Neru didn't really care when they got home, but if Miki was here when they did, she'd be thrown in hell.

"I told you!" Miki giggled, poking the other girl's cheek. Her curious red eyes were glowing from the lack of light, and she was leaning in closer, getting into Neru's personal bubble; way too close for any sort of comfort. Neru tried leaning away even more, but ended up falling onto her back, hitting her head on the armrest. There was no longer any pain when she hit her head, but despite the pain she would feel when it happened, Neru wished she was still hurt.

Miki laughed, her arm placed to Neru's side, her upper body hovering over the other girl's. "You know, it's been a long time since we've been alone together, huh?"

"Long," Neru repeated, giving her a blank stare. There was no doubt that Miki had this look in her eyes, as if she was searching for something. It made the blonde squirm in place, trying to get away from this...weird atmosphere. Her room sounded like a nice place to be.

The redhead nodded, leaning in closer. Their eyes were connected, but not the way they usually were; Neru could see something different within Miki's gaze, something she didn't want to admit. She felt a weird twinge in her stomach, and her palms were sweaty.

Miki's face was mere centimeters away from Neru's, and her body was laying on top of hers in a not-so uncomfortable position. Neru's hands shook, wondering where she should put them to push her away. There was nobody around to tease them or make her feel bad, but her mind was blank. All she could see was red.

"So long," Miki whispered, resting her forehead on Neru's shoulder. She gripped Neru's hands, feeling them shake underneath her, and brought them to her cheeks. Neru gulped, wondering what Miki was going to do next, letting the other girl do what she wanted. There was no way she'd be getting out of this mess any time soon. "Neru-chan?"

Neru hummed, not trusting her voice at this point. Miki shook her head and looked up at her again, giving her a soft smile before leaning in completely. All thoughts suddenly disappeared from Neru's mind, the only thing she could focus on was...

"Holy-"

The two jumped back at the sound of the deep voice, Miki screaming while tumbling away from the other girl. Neru covered her face with her palms, eyes wide and full of confusion. Her brother set down his backpack on the other small couch, keeping his face neutral. "Sorry for interrupting," he half-laughed, running upstairs to avoid Neru's glare.

Miki's face was redder than ever, and she tried making a coherent sentence before standing, "I think I'll go!" she yelled, her voice breaking from her nervousness. Neru didn't say anything, but nodded anyway. They exchanged a silent, long and awkward goodbye before Miki literally threw herself outside, running in the rain.

* * *

Nero set down two hot cups of ramen on the coffee table, pouring a huge amount of hot sauce into his own. His sister, her face buried in a pillow, glanced at them before sitting up normally. "So, is she your girlfriend now?" he asked, changing the channel to some reality show. They sat in silence while Neru tried coming up with a normal answer, but she sighed, deciding it was best to just stay blunt.

"No. That was just her being dumb," she said, stuffing her mouth so she wouldn't have to talk. Nero shrugged, not wanting to pry, but he did glance at her every once in a while. Catching on, Neru glared at him, "What?"

"Nothing, nothing. Just... if you two dated... she'd totally be on top you know." Nero ignored the explosion of noodles that came out of her mouth and stared ahead at the show that he missed half of. "You're too guarded."

Neru wiped her mouth, glaring at him with a blush on her face. "We're not going to date," she said, sharply turning her head back to face the TV. "Besides, what do you know? You haven't dated anyone and probably never will."

"Ohh, getting hurtful? Well..." Nero stopped to pause and think for a moment before taking a sip of Neru's drink, "You probably don't know how to kiss." He leaned back, putting his feet on the small table in front of them. Neru started spurting nonsense, but stopped trying to speak when he made no expression to say he was listening.

An hour later, when Nero disappeared into his room to stalk his favorite singer, Neru was laying on the couch with a blank expression directed toward the ceiling. Miki had...she shook her head, slapping her cheeks in an effort to get them to stop burning. Golden eyes, brightened by the darkness, stared out the window. She wondered what would happen to them now that they'd...

"Damn it. Stop being so annoying, Miki," she mumbled, burying her face into the armrest.

The rain wasn't letting up, and it was still dark and cloudy, but there was a small opening in the grey clouds revealing the blue sky that would soon get bigger.

* * *

_**Hope you enjoyed! Next chapter shall be the last of their summer vacation!**_


	10. Kiss

**_Can you you believe... we're almost done with this story?! I plan on ending this within the next five to ten chapters or so, so...hope you enjoy the rest!_**

**_Yeah, I didn't go into detail about Miki's outfit simply because I wanted to leave it up to you (readers) to decide what she's wearing based off the small details I put in there._**

**_Disclaimer: I'm poor. Nuff said._**

* * *

**_Popping a Bubble_**

**_Chapter 10: Kiss_**

* * *

"You did _what_?!" Miku and Lily yelled at the same time, slamming their hands down on Miki's bed. After much beating around the bush and trying to get her to speak, Lily threatened her with making her room smell like someone had thrown up marijuana.

The blonde slammed her palm into her face, groaning at the sight of Miki literally curled up in the corner shaking like a leaf. There were tears pooling in the corner of her eyes and Lily just had to plop onto her stomach, "You know she's gonna be like... weird around you now, right?"

Miku nodded, shaking her head in slight disapproval. However, she exchanged looks like Lily, their lips stretching into mischievous grins. "Well, you could always... I don't know, ask her out like I've been telling you?!" She figured this was the best time to actually get Miki a love life! Of course, with Akita Neru, but it was still something.

"What?! N-no way!" Miki squealed, a blush forming on her face. She threw her pillow at the closest person, and Lily had to endure being pelted with the soft object while Miki yelled all sorts of things in denial. Miku threw herself on the bed to avoid giving Lily a partial concussion and grabbed Miki's wrists with a creepy smile the other girl didn't like.

"Don't worry, when push comes to shove, we'll help you out to shove!" she said cheerfully, dragging Miki to her feet. Lily rubbed her head and laid her hand on Miku's shoulder, pulling her closer, the two creating a sort of pose. "We'll get you guys to go out for sure!"

Lily opened her phone and texted someone quickly, then dialed a number. "I'll call Gumi over," she simply said, turning around when Miku gave her a teasing stare. While she was doing that, Miki fell back on her bed, rolling around with wails of nervousness. Miku placed her foot on the other girl's stomach, effectively stopping her movements, and leaned in to stare at her.

"You know she'll go out with you right? I don't know why you're freaking out!" she said, laughing when Miki's speech fell to a mumble. Miku gave her a thumbs up and grinned, taking out her phone.

"What are you-"

Miku dodged her hands and lifted the phone high in the air, texting at an abnormal pace. Miki already knew who was going to be receiving it and didn't want to know what atrocities Miku would be typing out. "Miku-chan, no fair!" she pouted, crossing her arms when Miku slammed the phone down on the bed with a hearty laugh of victory.

Lily turned around with a laugh of her own, and Miki soon found herself face to face with the other two who grabbed her arms and dragged her to her bathroom. "Date time!" they yelled, throwing her inside with a few towels.

In a matter of minutes after getting in the shower, she heard the door open and close, with Lily and Miku bringing in all sorts of clothing to wear. Miki brought her hands to her chest, watching through the shower curtain the outfit they had chosen for her.

When it opened again, she stuck her head and saw Miku putting down a couple of accessories by the sink. "What are you two up to...?" she asked, her stomach doing all sorts of twirls. When she revealed it to them that she had kissed Neru, she didn't expect them to jump into the mindset that they needed to go on a date.

"Getting you ready for a date, duh," the teal-haired girl replied with a wink, leaving the room with a peace sign. Miki sighed, but then went into a fit of giggles at the thought, her cheeks a cherry red.

Lily and Miku quickly got to work when she exited the shower, helping her with her hair and aide her in putting on her outfit, during which a sleepy Gumi entered, watching with interest as Miki was pretty much being treated like a princess.

"Nice," Gumi commented once they were done, nodding her head. Lily used her head as a place to rest her elbow, eying their work. Miki looked cute, she would admit, and it wasn't too flashy, nor did it look like she was trying too hard. She had a feeling Neru was going to be distracted the minute they saw each other.

Gumi swatted her off her head, but groaned when Lily fell back and wrapped her arms around her neck, "Anyway, you think she'll let you kiss her again?" she teased, sticking her tongue out at Miki's jaw dropping. Lily hid her face behind Gumi's hair, acting innocent. "Geez you're clingy..." Gumi whispered, leaning into her.

"Don't tell anyone else!" Miki yelled, glaring at the texting Miku. The other girl stopped and dropped her phone into her pocket again, whistling like she had never done anything. She let out a shaky sigh and dropped her arms, getting her own phone to check the time. Her eyes widened upon seeing a message.

_Neru-chan:_

_Sent: 5:19pm_

_I'll meet you there._

She had no idea what the other two had been saying to Neru, but she suddenly was thankful they knew what they were doing.

* * *

Neru closed her phone, averting her eyes from the running form of Miki. It was early evening, which meant the air was a little cooler now and wouldn't be a burden on their...date. Not that she considered whatever this was to be a date, and hopefully neither did Miki. This wasn't a date.

"Hi Neru-chan..." Miki slowly greeted, playing with her hair. It had been a few weeks without talking since they last saw each other, and suddenly Miki felt like she was meeting Neru for the first time in years.

Neru nodded, staying silent. Her face stayed as passive and neutral as possible, but on the inside her heart was racing, and it clearly showed by the way she was gripping the hem of her shirt. Nero specifically picked this out after snooping through her phone to avoid her putting them in her pockets if she had chosen a different outfit.

"S-so...where are we going?" the redhead asked, placing her hands behind her back. She cursed her nervousness and sighed, awkwardly pushing back a strand of hair from her face. Neru made no motion to indicate she was going to speak any time soon, which made an ever greater burden on Miki since she had no idea what to do.

After moments of silence, Neru let out a deep breath and rolled her eyes, "We're right in front of the place you said to meet up at. You forgot?" Her tone showed her annoyance, and Miki realized, that other than asking Miku about where they were meeting, she didn't check her phone to read the messages.

Miki shook her head, looking down in embarrassment. This was her first date and of course she had to screw it up right in the beginning. She looked behind them at the clear glass windows of the arcade and raised an eyebrow. Dates normally weren't at arcades if she was right...

"You said there's a boardwalk behind it, and a movie theater," Neru said, taking a step forward, "Let's just hurry up and go."

An image from years ago popped into her brain, and Miki nodded, suddenly cheerful. She giggled and linked her arm tightly with Neru's, causing the blonde to groan in annoyance. "Yeah, there is! I haven't been there in forever though, so I can't say much about it!"

They ventured through the empty arcade, a few boys piling here and there with their friends, some watching them with interest. Neru felt her eyebrow twitch when they were the center of attention, and because they had walked in circles for ten minutes. It felt like eternity in her mind, whereas Miki was too excited to even notice.

"Where are we going?" she asked, trying to pull out of Miki's grip. She failed, so Neru sighed and let Miki guide her to a new maze-like area. Luckily this time it wasn't the same arcade, but a casino. Having never been there before, or heard about it, Neru's eyebrows raised in surprise, then furrowed at the sight of old men staring at them.

Miki giggled, pulling her along to the side where nobody could see them. There was a black door, which led to a red hall with a few paintings and another door leading outside. Neru sighed in relief, having hated the smell of cigarettes and old people all around her.

The beach stared at them in the face, a bright orange color from the setting sun glaring at the calm water and casting a glow to everything around them. Miki took a deep breath and let it out, letting her arm drop to simply hold Neru's hand. She pouted when the other girl tore it back with a blush.

"Meanie!" Miki huffed, going ahead without Neru to the main area where lots of couples and people were walking around. Neru sighed, rolling her eyes at the childish behavior.

Miki stopped when she was looking at bright lights and the smell of ocean brought in by a calm breeze. She turned to smile at Neru, making her freeze in place. The sun's glare behind her cast a comfortable red glow around her and the way she was positioned made her look like an angel, adding a halo due to her squished ahoge. Neru gulped, pulling on her shirt to try resisting the feeling of her beating heart.

"Neru-chan, what do you wanna do?" she asked, skipping back to her. Miki slowly wrapped her arms around Neru's left again, looking up at her expectantly. She was surprised when Neru's face turned a harsh red, she almost expected steam to fly out.

The lack of answer and movement made Miki smile again, so she dragged her to a booth where they both could interact, if only through a simple game.

After hours and finally getting Neru to break out of her shell a little bit, they stood at a wooden railing toward the back of the boardwalk and away from the crowds. Miki slowly sucked her smoothie and let out a sigh of relief, looking out to the ocean. "That was a lot of fun!" she said, turning her head to the still silent-as-ever Neru. "What do you think?"

"Okay," she shrugged, keeping her eyes straight. If she moved them or even glanced at Miki like she did most of the day, she was sure to get a heart attack.

Miki hummed, leaning on her and resting her head on Neru's shoulder. The blonde made noises in her throat but ultimately stayed silent, feeling her skin heat up. "Is it awkward now?" Miki voiced, remembering something Lily said earlier. "Being around me, I mean..."

Was it? Miki acted normal enough, and Neru didn't really care either way...

"No," she simply said, taking a glance at the ahoge poking her cheek. Why it wasn't, she wasn't sure herself considering what had happened, but looking at Miki, and feeling her presence... for the first time in a very long time, Neru felt happy. It was odd, but she knew she did; why else would she allow Miki to cling and be annoying so much around her...?

There was something else. Neru gulped at the inner realization of this, especially when Miki looked back up at her and smiled, reaching her hand out to entwine their fingers.

"Is it awkward now?" Miki asked slyly, feeling her face heat up. It wasn't necessarily fair of her to interrogate Neru like this when this was technically their first date, but the nerves in her body wouldn't allow her to think clearly.

Neru gulped, turning a little so she was staring at Miki's face with shock. In turn, and with a dazed look herself, Miki leaned in closer, just enough so they were almost in an embrace, save for Neru's arms dangling at her sides. Miki rested her cheek on Neru's shoulder, closing her eyes from the bright sun, taking in everything around her.

"No," Neru repeated, trying to get her passive face back on. When it proved difficult, she looked away, her golden eyes full of annoyance and embarrassment. She could see people stare at them, most in disgust and confusion, but she didn't pay them much attention. Looking down she was met with red eyes again, Miki's hands clutching the back of her shirt. "What are you doing..."

Her sentence was cut off short, but she didn't have the strength to pull away. With it, Neru knew one thing:

Furukawa Miki successfully made her fall in love. How irritating.

* * *

**_Ermahgerd! It may sound like it's ending, but it's really not. There's still some stuff I wanna have them go through before it actually ends! Of course, Neru isn't going to act like some smitten sweetheart just because she's in love!_**

**_Hope you liked this chapter!_**


	11. Return

**_Sorry for taking so long with this; way too much had gone on and I didn't have the motivation to write. But I'm back in spirits and ready for this thang!_**

**_Disclaimer: I'm poor. Nuff said._**

* * *

**_Popping a Bubble_**

**_Chapter 11: Return_**

* * *

Luka and Gakupo exchanged interested looks upon seeing Neru and Miki enter the class together. Or rather, Miki dragging the blonde inside. Either way, it was a sight to see their usually silent and irritable friend throw all sorts of words at the cheery redhead.

"I did hear that they're going out," Gakupo whispered, scratching his head. Luka shrugged, intending to simply watch as Neru tried getting out of Miki's grip, but ended up failing. Somehow they managed to get into the same class, save for Miku and Lily. Gumi chose to sleep in and thus was not around.

The pinkette watched Neru struggle to get to an empty seat ways away from everyone, but was constantly being pulled back and eventually was thrown into a chair next to Miki, who gave her a victorious grin. "Sure seems that way, but I think it's cute," Luka shrugged, not really minding it.

Gakupo hummed and leaned back, the fresh air coming from the air conditioner making him miss the summer. "So, who wears the pants?" he asked, not really caring if others were listening in. Everyone made speculations about him and Luka going out, but Gakupo could never see it, especially since Luka made it known she only loved Miku. He chuckled at her laugh and they gave each other a knowing look. "Definitely Miki," he said with a nod.

The bell rang but it didn't stop anyone from talking, and their first period teacher, even though she was sitting at her desk, didn't even care. Despite being only ten minutes, senior year had started off pretty well.

Of course, until the door slammed open halfway through the boring intro and a yawning Gumi walked through, the school police standing ominously behind her.

"You can go now," Gumi snapped, dropping into a seat next to some random boy. He looked all too happy to have her near him, but she never spared him a glance. Instead, when the officer was gone, her focus was on the redhead in front of her idly whispering with Neru. "What's up?" she asked, tapping her foot into the back of Miki's chair.

Miki turned with a beaming smile, "Hi Gumi-chan! Just talking about this!" She hardly noticed their teacher glaring daggers at her back, but didn't make any indication that she cared if she did. In her hand was her phone, which was showing off a commemorative photo from her date with Neru. The sun had set and there were stars in the sky, but the water was a bright blue. Gumi looked at it with an impressed look in her eye.

"Nice," she commented, leaning in closer to see the deadpan expression on Neru's face compared to Miki's glowing one. Her green eyes drifted to gold ones, and Gumi smirked at her in a mischievous way, "So, you two dating now?"

Neru jumped in her seat, not expecting the question, especially since she had asked so loud, which caused a few curious heads to turn. "No!" she snapped, turning her head to look at their teacher explaining about their grading scale.

Near the end of class, they were allowed to talk to their friends, Miki's forceful pull on Neru's sleeve forced her to turn around. She noticed Gumi's eyes watching them with interest, and tried to ignore it, glaring at Miki.

"What," she groaned, rolling her eyes once more. If anything, she was allowed at most two minutes of silence before a redheaded chatter box decided that was far too long and pulled her back into a futile conversation.

Luka and Gakupo exchanged glances once more before standing up simultaneously, dragging a few chairs to sit by their friends.

"So, how does it feel to have a girlfriend?" Gakupo teased, poking Neru's temple. She glared at him and shoved his hand away, almost letting a growl escape her throat. "Whoa tiger, calm down."

Miki giggled and shook her head, "We're not dating, silly!"

They all heard Neru let out a sigh of relief, possibly sounding like the only non-monotonous noise she was capable of making. She noticed them watching her, and let her calm eyes turn back into sharp slits. "What?" she snapped, crossing her arms across Gumi's desk.

"Nothing, nothing. Ah, crap, the bell's about to ring. I'm heading out early, gonna go see where Lily was stuck at," Gumi said, lifting her backpack from the seat it was hung on. With a ruffle of Neru's head she exchanged goodbyes and openly left the class, not bothering with sneaking out.

Luka sighed, shaking her head a little, "How did she get to her senior year?" Even though Miku tried her best, she often fell behind in her classes, which posed the question: what was a slacker like Gumi doing in an advanced class?

"Ahem, I don't think you should be asking that question about Gumi-san, but..." Gakupo redirected his gaze to the redhead curiously tilting her head at her phone, reading sideways at something posted on her Facebook.

Neru bit her cheek to refrain from laughing, agreeing with what Gakupo had to say. Miki was a little stupider than most...

"Okay, put your chairs back in place, the bell's about to ring!" their teacher called out, not bothering with directions once everyone was making some sort of noise.

Next, Neru had a free period aiding a teacher, but she wasn't going to help out a class full of younger idiots. So, once the bell rang, she walked to her favorite bench that was never occupied, basking in the morning sunlight.

"Neru-chan, it's not good to skip class!" Miki advised, noticing the blonde when she was walking down the hallway to her class. She leaned her side into Neru's sitting form, "C'mon, go to class!"

Shaking her head and turning her eyes to the open space below, Neru stayed silent until Miki added more pressure into her side. "No. I don't want to go to a class full of idiots," she voiced, feeling her head lean into Miki's chest. Her mind yelled at her to move away, avoid contact at all costs and run off, but her heart said to just give up and be happy for once.

Not that this made her happy of course.

"Well, if you're not going, neither am I!" Miki announced, throwing her notebooks on the bench before sitting on top of them, smoothing out her skirt and leggings to get comfortable. Neru had the urge to tell her to leave, but fell prey to the warm hand that grabbed onto her own, tightening her hold with every second that passed.

Silence ensued, and the two ignored the teachers yelling at them to get to class. Miki, after seeing everyone close their doors to start second period, hummed and played with Neru's blonde hair. "So..." she whispered, feeling as the other girl's muscles tensed instantly at the feel of her warm breath. "What are we, Neru-chan?"

The question, completely random and out of nowhere caused Neru to push Miki away by instinct, her golden eyes wide and confused. "Nothing," she said, attempting to get up, only to be pulled back by a fierce tug on her arm.

Miki was nearly glaring at her, although underneath all the contempt, there was a sliver of sadness. Seeing she was incapable of going anywhere as long as Miki was alive, and she wasn't about to go to class, Neru sat down with her back facing Miki.

All she could hear was the breeze and birds twittering about in the air, a few students walking around here and there, either lost or purposefully tardy. Miki hadn't said anything, and Neru figured she was on her phone, looking up something.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket, and when she opened her phone, this was what she found:

_Annoying:_

_Sent: 8:41am_

_Wanna talk this way?_

Neru nodded despite not looking behind her, and inwardly sighed at the lack of personal bubble space being popped by the ever chatty redhead.

It felt a little good returning to school.

* * *

**_I know it's short, but I liked it as is so... leaving it at that. Sorry for being so late in the update too._**


	12. Confession

**_OMG chapter 12 and cliché themes! I know I said Neru wouldn't act like some smitten sweetheart, but...I couldn't help it this chapter, even though I planned for it to happen at the end._**

**_Disclaimer: I'm poor. Nuff said._**

* * *

**_Popping a Bubble_**

**_Chapter 12: Confession_**

* * *

Miki sniffled into her pillow, clutching the blankets tight around her to avoid being seen. Her mom had warned her about running about in the random rainstorms, and as punishment she was given illness. Her head was pounding, her body was heavy and weak, and she was in no mood to be in her regular mood.

"Ugh..." she moaned, pressing her palms against her eyes to shield the light coming in from the window. It was still only six something in the morning, but it felt like it was noon with the rays of the sun shooting at her. Miki rolled to her side and sighed, hugging her warm blankets to comfort the feel of her throat burning.

Her mom passed by again and set down a cup of tea next to her, running her hand through sweaty red bangs. "You'll be alright by yourself?" the woman asked, sitting on the mattress to look at her daughter. Miki nodded without a sound and she repeated the motion, standing to leave. "All right. Well, your dad will be in his office all day if you need him," she said, kissing the girl's forehead before leaving her room.

Miki curled back into her blankets and sniffled, feeling her body shiver for no reason despite it being a good looking day. She gulped to try to get rid of her dry throat, but regretted it once she felt the sting. "Ugh..."

Without a warning, Miki felt her eyelids close and shut out all the lights, succumbing to the thought of peaceful sleep. Her blankets turned into cozy havens that she could curl into and relish in, her breaths slow and deep...

"Wake up," a monotone voice said, pushing her shoulder through the blankets her mom piled on top of her. Miki moaned at the interruption, and stuck her head out with a glare, shrieking when sunlight struck her in the face from her open window. "Miki."

Hearing her name, Miki froze and looked up from her blankets again, seeing Neru standing in her room with her phone in hand as always. However, instead of a glare she usually wore, Miki could see a little bit of loneliness. Looking at the wall clock across the room, the redhead nearly fell down at how fast time could move. It was already ten thirty!

Sniffling and trying her best to conceal the nasal sound of her voice, Miki rubbed her eyes, "Neru-chan? What are you doing here?" She could feel her back sweating in her clothes, and the added heat from the sunlight and blankets wasn't helping.

"You didn't text me saying you weren't going to school," Neru said, dropping her stuff to sit on her bed, staring at her. It suddenly dawned on her that she had forgotten, but Miki smiled anyway, reaching a hand out to clutch Neru's. She was surprised when Neru didn't pull away immediately, and she found the strength to sit up, enough so she could face Neru properly.

She wiped away the sweat on her face and smiled. "I'm sorry," she said, voice raspy and making her throat feel even worse. Neru kept her gaze on the ground, making Miki feel a little bad, "Neru-chan, look at me?"

A shift in the bed made Neru look up, and she immediately wished she didn't, as a soft pair of lips touched her cheek for a few seconds, Miki making a humming noise before smacking them off.

"You didn't have to do that. Now I might get sick," was all she said, wiping her cheek. Miki simply shrugged and laid back down, smiling triumphantly at her. Neru narrowed her eyes and leaned in a little closer, "What's that look for?"

Surprised by the question, Miki smirked, "Oh, nothing. Just a little smile of victory."

"Why?" Neru twisted her body so she was now facing the redhead, and Miki wanted nothing to do but curl into her and fall asleep. She looked so comfortable and warm...

"No reason. You're just so cute," she admitted, letting her head drop to the side a little. Her pillow supported her head and framed her face, leaving one mischievous red eye to stare at. She could see the redness appear on Neru's cheeks, but didn't want to point it out. Instead, she chose to giggle at her expressions. "So cute!~"

Neru scoffed and decided to crawl to her side, not looking at her the entire time. They both sat in silence, until someone's phone vibrated. The blonde felt around for a bit and closed it the second she opened it, tossing it someone where on the floor. "Oh, Neru-chan wants to spend time with me instead of chatting with Cleverbot," Miki laughed, reaching over a little to pet blonde locks. Neru really had the softest of hair, and she was lucky she got this close to it.

She scoffed again, turning to her side so her nose was lightly pressed up against Miki's shoulder, her golden eyes blankly staring at the desk across her room. Having suddenly forgotten her sore throat, Miki burst out into complete laughter at feeling Neru's arm slide under her, her hand lightly gripping at Miki's waist. "Neru-chan, that tickles."

"So?"

To emphasize her uncaring mood, Neru flipped onto her stomach, freeing Miki of the ticklish grip and draped her arm over Miki's abdomen, burying her face into Miki's shoulder.

Miki coughed, reaching for the cold tea cup to the side. It was nasty, but if it would help she didn't want to pass it up or call for her dad since she was in a very awkward position.

The silence stretched once more, and Miki felt her eyelids starting to close, the warmth from Neru (who was apparently sleeping now) and the comfy position they were in forcing her to succumb to sleep. Gold suddenly stopped her from falling back into the peaceful darkness, and Miki reached out to comb her fingers through Neru's hair. It was soft and fluffy...

Maybe it was because she was sick, maybe not. But when she saw that little twitch in normally straight lips, showing Neru's miniscule smile, Miki blamed the sickness.

"I love you," she blurted, her face heating up considerably. She could feel her chest grow hot and when Neru's hands slid away, her heart stopped. All the strength in her body whittled away, leaving her to stare at the blonde as she sat up, hiding her face away from her. Miki felt like crying, but even then she was helpless.

She couldn't tell what Neru's initial reaction was, as she had hid her face, but she didn't want to suddenly be cast aside and be seen as everyone else. Miki didn't care if she was sick, but the loss of strength and intensity of her throat burning was really overwhelming. "Neru-chan?" she coughed, covering her mouth as she let out some really lung squeezing coughs.

Neru looked up from her bangs, and then took hold of Miki's shoulders, stealing her already nonexistent breath with one swoop. "Really?" she muttered, gaze fearful and searching within cherry eyes for any indication she was lying. Miki shook her head, feeling her eyelids drop again. She wrapped her arms around Neru's neck and sighed in content when her message was sent.

Their lips met, and Neru made sure to keep Miki in place, already feeling how limp her body was. But it didn't stop her from furrowing her eyebrows at the annoying position they were in. She avoided the gleam in cherry eyes and jumped when her side was pinched, Miki literally using that to deepen the kiss.

A light knock at the door was ignored, and when her dad walked in holding a bowl of soup, he expected the silent friend to be sitting on the floor or something, not lying on top of his daughter, trapped in a heated make out session. "What the- how- _whoa_," he said, stumbling in his steps.

Miki broke apart from Neru and blushed, the fast action slamming fatigue into her system again. Her head was pounding harder than before, but she kept her grip on Neru when she tried fleeing from the scene. "Dad!" she hoarsely cried out, feeling her throat burn. "Knock, at least!"

"I did!" he countered, slamming the tray down on her dresser, placing his hands on his hips with a huff. He turned his red eyes to Neru, who was currently fighting with Miki over letting her go. "Look, I know it must be hard to be alone today, but Miki is sick. You'll have to wait until tomorrow to see her."

The lighter redhead in the room whined, tugging Neru closer into a hug, "No way! After she spent all this time coming over, school is so far!" Her eyebrows raised, and she stared at Neru like one would a new species. "How did you find out where I lived?"

"You hang out with the idiots who blab the moment you mention something."

"That's not nice to say!"

Miki's dad, sensing the 'get out of here' vibe, slowly stepped back until he was awkwardly chuckling, and then slowly closed the door. The two didn't spare him another glance, and Neru let out a sigh when she realized the extra person was finally gone. "You know," Miki said, poking Neru's nose lightly, "You should act like this more around people. It'd be good for you."

"No," Neru quickly denied, not even blinking or shaking her head. "It's bad enough around _you_."

Miki puffed out her cheeks, and let go of Neru's clothes, "Well... you just need to get used to do doing it around people!"

The blonde rolled to her side and kept her cheek pressed against Miki's chest, staring at the window. It was nice out, but with Miki being sick there was no chance of them going outside to do something...

It didn't take long for Miki to fall asleep again, and this time Neru wasn't going to stop her, especially since Miki had revealed her feelings. A little unromantic, but Neru didn't (and _couldn't_) deny the happiness leaping out of her chest. Miki loved her, and in return Neru kissed her.

This obviously wasn't the first time they had kissed, and it was odd that Neru felt like she didn't want to stop. The recent confession suddenly made her feel happy and confident, as if she was going to reply with a confession of her own.

Was that what she wanted? If they developed a relationship, it meant meeting more people, and going out more on dates, maybe...delving into the more adult world...

"Look what you make me think," she hissed, her face's temperature rising higher and higher. Neru didn't like being social, but it was hard to continue her anti-social life when Miki was in the picture. There really was no choice, seeing as Miki wasn't one to enjoy sitting around and doing nothing.

Inwardly meditating, Neru figured out her options. She either stayed as she was and held onto the last shred of an anti-social life she had, tried balancing her preferences or completely let go of her lack of said social life to pursue something with her girlfriend (if she could even call her that yet). In the end it was obvious what she had to do, and she poked Miki's sensitive parts to get her to awaken again.

"Mm..." Miki groaned, slapping Neru's hand off her body. Her skin was a light red, almost a similar shade to her messy hair, and the sun was in her face. Even if she had opened them to be annoying, Neru knew it wasn't a good idea to keep the sun on Miki's skin too long, in case it made her feel worse.

Her back popped as she stretched, and she tried reaching for the curtains from her spot on the bed, but failed, blankly staring at her arm like it should've grown longer. Neru sighed and simply got up, forcing Miki to fall down a little into a very uncomfortable position. The blinds were shut and the curtains were closed, leaving the room dark.

Neru ran a hand through her messy ponytail, the shuffling having ruined its perfection. If she were to get back in there, she'd never leave. Now that Miki was asleep, she had a chance to leave and simply wait for the next say to sort everything out.

The sickness must've stuck to her, because she soon found herself under Miki's blankets, with said redhead held tightly in her arms.

"I..." she started, closing her eyes. The annoying little ahoge was crushed under her chin, but lightly tickled her neck, and Miki's soft breathing fanned against her shoulders. Neru gulped, wondering what she was doing in such a position. She simply sighed, "Whatever," and allowed Miki to cuddle into her a little more. Neru could literally feel the small smile touch her skin after that.

"Stop making me love you."

Miki could only smile more at the sentence.

* * *

**_Alright, we are at the end of chapter twelve, which means...*le GASP* the end is near! Two chapters? Three chapters? Who knows?!_**


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